James Cameron the latest to back Obama's new Space plan

[anemazoso]

Today Director James Cameron wrote an op-ed for the Washington Post backing Obama's new space plan.

 

[Unstung]

I personally don't care about Cameron's opinion on this.

 

[Turbinator]

Neither do I.

 

[anemazoso]

That's all fine and dandy but I'm simply tring to show that prominent people are supporting this. Obviously his opinion is worth something to someone and his success cannot be denied.

 

[Ark]

Buzz Aldrin I'll listen to on spaceflight issues.

James Cameron, on the other hand, doesn't have any qualifications or experience at all. I'd listen to him on deep-sea exploration, maybe.

 

[insanity]

Buzz Aldrin I'll listen to on spaceflight issues.

James Cameron, on the other hand, doesn't have any qualifications or experience at all. I'd listen to him on deep-sea exploration, maybe.

I'd listen to James Cameron give a lecture on how to make blockbusters but elsewise his opinion is pretty worthless.

 

[Shadow Addict]

As unqualified as he might be, it's a good thing that a big celebrity is endorsing this. Unaware people could see that James Cameron supports NASA's new manned program and think "Hey, this guy directed Avatar! If he likes it, it's probably a good thing" which could generate good public awareness about this.

 

[tblaxland]

James Cameron, on the other hand, doesn't have any qualifications or experience at all.

He did serve on the NASA Advisory Council for a few years (under O'Keefe's reign) so I suspect he is no fool. Doesn't a bit of science fiction inspiration have a role to play in the future exploration of space (manned or otherwise)?

 

[Hielor]

Do we really need a separate thread for every famous person who supports this?

 

[Urwumpe]

James Cameron, on the other hand, doesn't have any qualifications or experience at all. I'd listen to him on deep-sea exploration, maybe.

Arthur C Clarke was just a radar technician, because he couldn't afford university, still he was dead right on the geostationary satellites.

 

[anemazoso]

Do we really need a separate thread for every famous person who supports this?

No but we do need one for every article written so it can be discussed. If I'm wrong on this maybe the admins and moderators can correct me? And is it hurting you in some way that there a couple more threads?

 

[destinos]

You don't think Cameron makes a good point?

 

[Andy44]

I don't think he makes a very good movie....maybe his points are better.

 

[JamesG]

LOL!

If people knew how normal and plainly dumb most "celebrities", or people made famous by the media are, their opinions would not carry the weight it does.

Don't be a scheep.

 

[Ghostrider]

There is a fundamental problem with Obama's plan and it's not about the engineers or the concept of private enterprise at all (which are the reasons Aldrin, Cameron and others endorse it), but the status of the private industry at present, which is not going to change for the foreseeable future.
Private enterprise is about money, of course, but today is about money now, and safe money. Low risk, quick profits, end of line. We're not in the '60s, '70s or '80s anymore. In the current climate, the computer revolution of the late '70s-early '80s would have never happened, just check out where Apple is now. Back in 1977 their product was the Apple ][: revolutionary, open, reasonably priced, something to tinker with and develop. Now it's the iPad: more of the same, locked, overprices, something to use as Steve Jobs wants you to use it and if you want to develop, you've got to pay. Had this philosophy been prevalent in 1977, they wouldn't have had the success they had because third party accessories and software that helped sell ][s wouldn't have ever existed.

The private sector is about immediate profits and reduced risks, and space stuff promises neither. If SpaceX can make money by simply launching satellites, that's where they'll stay. If any other company can make money by low-cost, unmanned stuff that's what they'll do. It's not in the hands of talented engineers or the rare visionary entrepreneurs, but in those of shareholders.

Unless the US Government intends to pursue the same method used in military contracts, that's not going to change and since NASA will not get the budget the DoD has, the writing is pretty much on the wall. Who's willing to design and build spacecraft if there's not a big, meaty contract there for the taking?

Maybe they should simply leave manned spaceflight to the USAF. They have the resources and the experience to deal with this kind of stuff, and the DoD budget to back them up.

 

[SiberianTiger]

Maybe they should simply leave manned spaceflight to the USAF. They have the resources and the experience to deal with this kind of stuff, and the DoD budget to back them up.

Sounds sensible, but do the USAF see a point in sending humans to space? They might be interested in a suborbital troop transporter, though. And if it's built for great distances, it's just a small step short of a spacecraft.

 

[JamesG]

The USAF is not interested in manned space flight. The USAF is only interested in protecting the US's national interests, not extending them beyond Earth. So thier interest in space extends only to geostationary orbit. The rest of the universe might as well not exist from their point of view.

 

[Star Voyager]

Sounds sensible, but do the USAF see a point in sending humans to space?

Reconnaissance? I wish I was born in 1930. That way if Dyna-Soar or MOL were'nt cancelled, I would have probably flown them !

 

[Urwumpe]

Reconnaissance? I wish I was born in 1930. That way if Dyna-Soar or MOL were'nt cancelled, I would have probably flown them !

sensible cameras and astronauts moving around in a spacecraft just don't blend. Also digital data links made the only reason for having humans aboard a reconnaissance station obsolete.

 

[Star Voyager]

sensible cameras and astronauts moving around in a spacecraft just don't blend. Also digital data links made the only reason for having humans aboard a reconnaissance station obsolete.

What about satellite inspection or sabotage? Or component retrieval on the enemy spacecraft? Can a probe do this?